Title 49—Transportation--Volume 1
PART 561—DOCUMENTATION FOR ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES
§ 561.1   Scope.
This part specifies requirements for the submission of standardized emergency response guides (ERGs) and rescue sheets for electric-powered vehicles. It also specifies requirements for other documentation, to be submitted to NHTSA upon request, addressing low temperature operation safety, warning in the event of malfunction of vehicle controls managing Rechargeable Electrical Energy Storage System (REESS) operations, warning in the case of a thermal event in the REESS, and safety risk mitigation for thermal runaway and propagation.
§ 561.2   Purpose.
The purpose of this part is to ensure emergency response information is readily available for first and second responders regarding the safe handling of electric-powered vehicles and to ensure vehicle occupants are alerted to potentially hazardous conditions. The other documentation requirements are to ensure vehicle manufacturers identify and address safety risks associated with the electric propulsion system in addition to the requirements of part 571 of this chapter.
§ 561.3   Application.
This part applies to passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses that use electrical propulsion components with working voltages greater than 60 volts direct current (VDC) or 30 volts alternating current (VAC), and whose speed attainable over a distance of 1.6 km on a paved level surface is more than 40 km/h.
(a) Rescue sheets and emergency response guides requirements. Vehicles manufactured on or after December 22, 2025, are subject to § 561.6.
(b) Documentation requirements. (1) Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kilograms (kg) or less manufactured on or after September 1, 2027, are subject to §§ 561.7 through 561.10.
(2) Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 4,536 kilograms (kg) manufactured on or after September 1, 2028, are subject to §§ 561.7 through 561.10.
(3) The requirements §§ 561.7 through 561.10 do not apply to small-volume manufacturers, final-stage manufacturers, and alterers of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating under 4,536 kilograms (kg) until one year after the date specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
(4) The requirements §§ 561.7 through 561.10 do not apply to small-volume manufacturers, final-stage manufacturers, and alterers of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 4,536 kilograms (kg) until one year after the date specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
§ 561.4   Matter incorporated by reference.
The material listed in this section is incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 522(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact NHTSA at: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; (202) 366-2588; www.nhtsa.gov/about-nhtsa/electronic-reading-room. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/contact. The material may be obtained from the following paragraphs of this section.
(a) International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, ch. de la Voie-Creuse, CP 56, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland; phone: + 41 22 749 01 11; fax: + 41 22 733 34 30; website: www.iso.org.
(1) ISO 17840-1:2022(E), Road vehicles—Information for first and second responders—Part 1: Rescue sheet for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, Second Edition, February 2022, into § 561.6.
(2) ISO 17840-2:2019(E), Road vehicles—Information for first and second responders—Part 2: Rescue sheet for buses, coaches and heavy commercial vehicles, First edition, April 2019, into § 561.6.
(3) ISO 17840-3:2019(E), Road vehicles—Information for first and second responders—Part 3: Emergency response guide template, First Edition, April 2019, into § 561.6.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 561.5   Definitions.
(a) Statutory definitions. All terms defined in section 30102 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 U.S.C. chapter 301, et seq. ) are used in their statutory meaning.
(b) Motor vehicle safety standard definitions. All terms defined in 49 CFR part 571 are used as defined therein.
(c) Other definitions —
Emergency response guide means a document containing in-depth vehicle-specific information related to fire, submersion, leakage of fluids, towing, and storage of vehicles for first and second responders.
First responder means a person with specialized training such as a law enforcement officer, paramedic, emergency medical technician, and/or firefighter.
Rescue sheet means an abbreviated version of an emergency response guide that gives quick information about a vehicle's construction, intended for use by first and second responders at the scene of a crash.
Second responder means a worker who supports first responders by cleaning up a site, towing vehicles, and/or supporting services after an event requiring first responders.
§ 561.6   Rescue sheets and emergency response guides.
(a) Rescue sheets. Prior to first vehicle sale or lease, vehicle manufacturers shall submit rescue sheets to NHTSA.
(1) For vehicles with a GVWR less than or equal to 4,536 kg to which the requirement applies, submitted rescue sheets shall follow the layout and format in ISO-17840-1:2022(E) (incorporated by reference; see § 561.4).
(2) For vehicles with a GVWR greater than 4,536 kg to which the standard applies, the submitted rescue sheets shall follow the layout and format in ISO-17840-2:2019(E) (incorporated by reference; see § 561.4).
(3) The rescue sheets shall provide information for first responders to extricate occupants.
(b) Emergency response guides (ERGs). Prior to first vehicle sale or lease, vehicle manufacturers shall submit emergency response guides to NHTSA in accordance with the template layout and format in ISO-17840-3:2019(E) (incorporated by reference; see § 561.4). vehicles to which this requirement applies.
(1) The ERGs shall provide in-depth information linked and aligned to the corresponding rescue sheet to support the quick and safe action of first responders and second responders.
(2) The ERGs shall provide in-depth information related to electric vehicle fire, submersion, leakage of fluids, towing, transportation, and storage.
(3) The ERGs shall provide information to assist first responders in extricating occupants.
§ 561.7   Documentation for low temperature operation safety.
At NHTSA's request, each manufacturer shall submit documentation that includes the following:
(a) The make, model, model year, and production dates of the vehicles to which the submitted documentation applies.
(b) The lower temperature boundary for safe REESS operation in all vehicle operating modes.
(c) A description and explanation of charge and discharge rates at the manufacturer specified lower temperature boundary for safe REESS operation.
(d) A description of the method used to detect REESS temperature.
(e) A system diagram with key components and subsystems involved in maintaining safe REESS charging and discharging operation for temperatures at or below the manufacturer specified lower temperature boundary for safe REESS operation.
(f) A description of how the vehicle controls, ancillary equipment, and design features were validated and verified for maintaining safe REESS operations at or below the manufacturer specified lower temperature boundary for safe REESS operation.
(g) Overall evaluation : A description of the final manufacturer review/audit process and results of any final review or audit evaluating the technical content and the completeness and verity of paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section.
§ 561.8   Documentation of a visual warning for malfunction of vehicle controls that manage REESS operation.
At NHTSA's request, each manufacturer shall submit documentation that includes the following:
(a) The make, model, model year, and production dates of the vehicles to which the submitted documentation applies.
(b) A system diagram that identifies all the vehicle controls that manage REESS operation. The diagram must identify what components are used to generate a visual warning indicating malfunction of vehicle controls to conduct one or more basic REESS operations.
(c) A written explanation describing the basic operation of the vehicle controls that manage REESS operation. The explanation must identify the components of the vehicle control system, provide description of their functions and capability to manage the REESS, and provide a logic diagram and description of conditions that would lead to triggering the telltale activation.
(d) Validation results from tests to confirm the display of a visual warning in the presence of a malfunction of the vehicle controls which manage safe operation of the REESS.
(e) Overall evaluation: A description of the final manufacturer review/audit process and results of the final review or audit which evaluated the technical content and the completeness and verity of paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section.
§ 561.9   Documentation of an audio-visual warning for a thermal event in the REESS.
At NHTSA's request, each manufacturer shall submit documentation that includes the following:
(a) The make, model, model year, and production dates of the vehicles to which the submitted documentation applies.
(b) A system diagram of the thermal event warning system.
(c) A written explanation describing the basic operation of the thermal event warning system. The explanation must identify the components of the thermal event warning system, provide descriptions of their functions and capability, and provide a logic diagram and description of conditions that would lead to triggering the warning activation.
(d) Validation results from tests to confirm the activation of an audio-visual warning in the case of a thermal event in the REESS.
(e) Overall evaluation: A description of the final manufacturer review/audit process and results of the final review or audit which evaluated the technical content and the completeness and verity of paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section.
§ 561.10   Documentation for single cell thermal runaway and propagation safety risk mitigation.
The vehicle manufacturer shall make available to NHTSA, upon request, documentation demonstrating how the vehicle and its REESS are designed to mitigate the safety risks associated with thermal propagation resulting from a single cell thermal runaway due to an internal short within the cell. The documentation shall demonstrate thermal propagation safety risk mitigation for the vehicle in external charging mode, active driving possible mode, and parking mode. The documentation shall include the following:
(a) Vehicle information. This part of the documentation shall identify the make, model, model year, and production dates of the vehicles to which the submitted documentation applies.
(b) Part I: System analysis. This part of the documentation shall identify the conditions which could lead to single-cell thermal runaway due to an internal short-circuit in different vehicle operational modes and allocate applicable functional units, components, and subsystems to each identified condition. This part shall include:
(1) A system diagram and a description of all relevant physical systems and components of the REESS, including information about the cell type and electrical configuration, cell chemistry, electrical capacity, voltage, current limits during charging and discharging, and thermal limits of the components that are critical for thermal propagation safety.
(2) A system diagram, operational description of sensors, components, functional units relevant to single-cell thermal runaway due to internal short-circuit and thermal propagation, and the interrelationship among the identified sensors, components, and functional units;
(3) A description of conditions under which a single-cell thermal runaway and propagation event due to an internal short-circuit could occur;
(4) A description of how the identified conditions were allocated to each identified component, functional unit, and subsystem;
(5) A description of the process used to review the identified conditions and their allocation to the identified sensors, components, and functional units, for completeness and validity; and
(6) A description of the warning or notification system before the thermal runaway occurs, including a description of the detection technology and mitigation strategies, if any.
(c) Part II: Safety risk assessment and mitigation process. This part of the documentation shall identify thermal propagation safety risk mitigation strategies for identified conditions leading to single cell thermal runaway in Part I and include:
(1) A description of the safety risks and safety risk mitigation strategies, and how these were identified, and
(2) A description of how each risk mitigation strategy manages, mitigates, or prevents the identified safety risks.
(3) Safety risk mitigation strategies identified should include those that mitigate the risk of single cell thermal runaway due to an internal short and mitigate the occurrence of thermal propagation due to single-cell thermal runaway resulting from an internal short-circuit within the cell.
(d) Part III: Verification and validation of risk mitigation strategies. This part of the documentation pertains to verification that the manufacturer identified safety risks and considered safety risk mitigation strategies and shall include:
(1) A description of how each risk mitigation strategy was verified and validated for effectiveness,
(2) A description of the verification and validation results for each risk mitigation strategy, and
(3) A description of and results from the vehicle level assessment.
(e) Part IV: Overall evaluation of risk mitigation. This part of the documentation summarizes the vehicle design and manufacturing strategies and their validation to mitigate the safety risks associated with thermal propagation due to single cell thermal runaway resulting from internal short within a cell. This part shall include a description of the final manufacturer review/audit process and results of the final review or audit evaluating the technical content and the completeness and verity of paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section.
§ 561.11   Record retention.
Each applicable manufacturer shall maintain the information specified in §§ 561.7 through 561.10 for the documentation requirements for a period of five years from the date of manufacture.